I want you to be independent of the limited selection available (for real women with real curves) in ready-to-wear clothing and in commercial patterns.

And when you do find something off-the-rack, I want to show you how to make it fit your body so you can wear it feeling comfortable and confident.

By the way, I’m Katrina Kellam. Welcome to Katrina Kay Creations. I have a passion for helping women get to a place where they don’t have to DEPEND on retailers or commercial pattern companies for clothes that fit their curves.

I’m really glad you stopped by and here’s what else I want you to know:

There’s no reason why you shouldn’t look and feel good in your clothes, regardless of your size and shape.

My goal is to teach you how to get the results you desire from your sewing – clothes that fit your body without the fuss of complicated pattern alterations. I also want to teach you how to take the store-bought clothes already in your closet, whose fit you’re not totally satisfied with, and make them fit like they were custom-made for you.

Who am I to do this? I’m someone who has sewn for others for years, but never wanted to sew for myself because I knew my body wasn’t an “average” size. And because I knew this, I also knew whatever I made for myself from commercial patterns would require many, many alterations before I could actually sew it and wear it.

If you’ve ever felt this way, then you really are in the right place.

On a less serious note, I know you really don’t want to know that I have an Associate’s and Bachelor’s degree in fashion or that I worked in the fashion industry for 10 years as a patternmaker. I mean, who cares? Right? Well, then I won’t tell you any of those things. Get it? Okay, moving on…

If this is your first time here, then you can start right here. You’ll be able to see at a glance what kind of information I’ve created for you. And if you want to introduce yourself in the comments, I’d love to meet you.

It definitely is part of the process. I’m an advocate for the process because, of course, no pattern is going to fit perfectly without some type of modifying. But there’s a difference between modification and major alteration. Not all patterns that are available in plus sizes are made to fit women with curves. I know this because I used to work in the commercial pattern industry. Their patterns were tested on a size 10 Miss fit model and graded up to plus sizes. Those proportions do not work for a plus size body, therefore major alterations that could otherwise be avoided are required.

I found my way to your blog this morning and just wanted to say thank you! I moved to South Africa 7 years ago and finding plus-size clothes that fit properly can sometimes be a challenge. When my daughter came from the US to visit in April, I asked her to bring some dress patterns for me so that I could make my own clothes. My biggest concern has been making things that ‘looked” homemade, so when I read your post about 10 mistakes people make when sewing and how to not make them, I knew I came to the right place. I know I’ll visit your site often for guidance! Thank you so much!

Hi Brenda, a good book to use to learn to make patterns is Patternmaking Made Easy, 3rd Edition. You can find it here: http://bit.ly/1AtqBdH. It’s an investment but you will use it as a reference for years to come. I have the 2nd edition and I use it all the time.

I’ll be posting some patternmaking tutorials in the future, so stay tuned.

Thanks for stopping by and I wish you the best with your plus size line. Your dream can definitely become a reality.

I searched for a tutorial on how to make a pleated neckline pattern and came across your tutorial on how to make a pleated skirt – the pleats going in a horizontal direction. Your instructions are so simple a child could understand. I have my pattern all done, just to cut the fabric and sew. Where do I find part 2 to complete the skirt? And do you have a tutorial on how to make a pleated neckline pattern? Liked and Love your page on facebook!

Unfortunately Curtis, I had some fitting problems with the skirt which had nothing to do with the pleats, so I put it aside. It was really working my nerves. But I haven’t forgotten it though. As soon as I get the fit right, I’ll do part 2.

I don’t have a tutorial on making a pleated neckline, but will definitely add it to my to-do list. Thank you so much for all of your support.

Hi I just found my way to your blog today. My daughter is getting married next year. It brought out my desire to become a pattern maker. Many thanks for allowing me the privilege to share your community blog and knowledge.

i find you more inspiring ma’am. i’m a sewer for 10 yrs and now i’m 54 still active on the career i’ve been through but unfortunately pattern making is the thing i missed. i acquired sewing through expirience have no formal education that’s why i want to learn pattern making so i could still be efficient st thid age of mine. i hope that you could help me ma’am . thank you.

Hi Susan, welcome to my blog. I hope you’re finding information you can use. I hope to post many patternmaking tutorials as well as offer both free and paid patternmaking courses next year. So please come back and visit whenever you get a chance.

Very dear Katrina thank you for your generous spirit to help us. Having dealt with dress size issues from size 34. To present 20 22
Or less I appreciate the blessing of a garment that Reilly fits. It’s rAre and far between. I sew some but not at your level.still thank you for sharing… marva

Thanks for mentioning your respiratory problems. I am not a big sewer but around Christmas time, I spent a long!! evening making Christmas stockings for the whole family. The next morning I had a heavily congested chest. I could be just a virus, but I was suspicious about the sewing link. Who know where the fabrics come from and what chemicals are on them and they were pretty loose fabrics that generated fragments that I could see around the needle. I have a few more to make and have been afraid. But I think I will wear a mask and get on with it. Do you wear a basic mask or something special. Thanks!!

That’s exactly how my chest feels when I don’t wear a mask, Mary. I wear a basic mask. There are 5 in a pack and I get them from Home Depot. I would imagine any hardware type store would carry them. I don’t experience any congestion when I wear them and I wear them for cutting and sewing fabric.

Just found your blog after trying to find a solution to a pants fitting problem. Your video is concise and very easy to follow. I learn best visually and so your instructions are a treasure. I am going to explore your site to find out what else I can learn. Thank You!

Hi Katrina,
Thank you for your blog. I am so very frustrated because I want to sew and have read alot. I just do not know how to alter my pattern. Nothing ever fits and I really try hard. I am 5 feet but I weigh 140 lbs so a most patterns will not fit me. Any suggestions.

Hi Margie,
Have you ever tried Fashion Patterns by Coni? Here’s the link http://bit.ly/15Wjdc7. The reason I suggest her patterns is because they’re made for plus size women, using a plus size model. The main pattern companies use a size 10 model and add the other sizes based on a size 10 body. You will probably still have to make some adjustments but hopefully they won’t be major.

Her patterns also come in sizes XS-XL and XXL-6X so if you need to use one size for your upper body and another for your lower body, you have a wide range of options.

Coni’s patterns are pretty basic so you can use them to create your own styles. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen any petite sizes for us women who are under 5’4″ so you will still have some length adjustments to make.

Hello Katrina!
Thank you so much for your blog! You inspire me and encourage me to return to self sewing.
When younger, I didn’t have too much problem making sewing patterns fit, here and there.
But my body has changed over the years, and is now pretty lumpy here and there.
What fits my voluptuous upper body, will not fit my skinny lower body. sigh
I look forward to the more ideas, suggestions and tutorials from you.
Many Blessings!
Jana

Retreats? I’m going to have to put a pin in that for the future. I don’t have any in-person classes planned but I’m in the planning stages for some online classes for next year. I will definitely let you know. Thanks for asking.

Hi, thank you for your blog! I learned how to sew in self-defense because i don’t have standard proportions. I always had to alter ready-made. I’m finally ready to take the next step and design my own patterns, looking forward to learning from you!

Hi Debbie, a good place to start is getting the free download I talk about in my last blog post. Read about it here at http://katrinakaycreations.com/?p=1505 and that will give you the information you need.

I did a book review at http://katrinakaycreations.com/?p=1398 on 2 books that are specifically for designing and altering patterns for plus size women. Fashion Design For Plus Sizes can also be found on Ebay.

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Are you tired of spending more time altering & fixing patterns than actually sewing? Or spending money on clothes that don't fit your curves? Then you've come to the right place. Here's what I want for you... READ MORE...